The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) issued an alert on 4 November 2026 after finding Listeria monocytogenes in Urkabe cooked ham. The affected product is sold refrigerated in plastic packaging in 175-gram packs. Consumers should not eat lot 61027, which has a use-by date of 26 November 2026.
The alert, reference ES2026/665, was sent to AESAN by the competent authorities of the Basque Country through Spain’s Coordinated System for the Rapid Exchange of Information (SCIRI). Initial distribution was recorded in the Basque Country and Navarra, as well as Castilla y León and Madrid. AESAN cautioned that redistribution to other autonomous communities could not be ruled out. The information was passed to regional authorities so they could check that affected packs had been withdrawn from sale.
The Basque health department says the company has followed withdrawal protocols and recovered most of the product, though small quantities may remain in homes. AESAN advises anyone with a pack matching the alert details not to consume it, even if it appears normal. It also recommends careful hygiene to prevent cross-contamination with other foods.
Anyone who has eaten the ham and develops symptoms compatible with listeriosis should contact a health centre. The listed symptoms include vomiting and diarrhoea, as well as fever. AESAN’s alert does not establish that the product caused any reported illness.
Listeriosis is a foodborne illness caused by Listeria monocytogenes. Contamination can occur at several stages when food is exposed to the environment, including during production and transport. It can also happen at retail or while food is prepared in homes. Refrigerated food should be kept within the cold chain.
The alert came eight days after AESAN held a national scientific meeting on Listeria monocytogenes, on 27 October 2026 at the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030 in Madrid. The meeting addressed scientific advances and the regulatory framework, along with control strategies for the bacterium.
